John Vorhees is 23 years old, and he needs a kidney.
John John, as his family calls him, has been in kidney failure for four years. Doctors have told the family he suffers from MTGN Type 3, an incredibly rare immune system deficiency, explained his dad, also John Vorhees.
“All we know is this is very rare; the doctor told us that from the beginning,” Vorhees said. “We just don’t know.”

John Vorhees is 23 years old, and he needs a kidney.
John John, as his family calls him, has been in kidney failure for four years. Doctors have told the family he suffers from MTGN Type 3, an incredibly rare immune system deficiency, explained his dad, also John Vorhees.
“All we know is this is very rare; the doctor told us that from the beginning,” Vorhees said. “We just don’t know.”
John John has been on dialysis for the four years, and he’s worked on the French fry station at McDonald’s, said his sister-in-law, Stacy Vorhees who is also his supervisor at work; her parents are Jeff and Mary Monfort, owner of the local restaurant franchise. The entire extended family is worried about John John.
“He’s been on the donor list, but we’re at the point now where we need to find a match,” she said. She hopes people hearing about John John’s situation will get tested to see if there is a potential donor available.
See Kidney, Page 5A
Her father-in-law agreed the time for action is now.
“We were told someone with this disease had a three-and-a-half to five-year life expectancy,” Vorhees said. “We’re getting to that point where he needs a donor.”
Potential donors must have Type O blood, Vorhees said, and be older than age 18. People wishing to be tested can contact the family for additional information, or contact the University of Cincinnati Hospital directly, asking to be connected to the organ donation department. A nurse will take preliminary information, send an information packet and indicate what other tests are necessary to begin the process, Vorhees said. John Vorhees is available at 419-236-8197.